Tanisha's Tips: How Did You Achieve Your Dreams?

Senior Editor Tanisha A. Sykes says, yes, you can live the life you want. Here's how she did it.

I visited HOTlanta over the weekend for an event called The Dreams Protected Tour presented by American Family Insurance. The topic of discussion centered on creating your dream, growing your dream and making your dream come true. It reminded me that having a dream that you hold dear is often the thing that will propel you forward. I was asked a slew of questions from Extra! correspondent AJ Calloway (that's right, AJ from 106th & Park fame) and thought I would share a few of my responses with you. See below for my thoughts on how I made my dreams come true and why being a dreamer is really a good thing.

AJ CALLOWAY: Who or what inspired you the most to dream?TANISHA A. SYKES: My 83-year-old grandma. Me, my mom, my brother, cousins and aunts grew up in her home in Philly. It was there that I saw a 5'3" little lady play both mommy and daddy to children and young adults who had their own flights of fancy about "making it." My grandmother would often say she was the chief, cook and bottle washer, as am I. My strong work ethic and my determination are derived from seeing my grandma overcome tremendous odds despite some incredible circumstances.

CALLOWAY: What does success mean to you?SYKES: Ironically, it's not my job that I think of first, although it's a major part of my "success." It's my family, my husband and two children and their welfare. Knowing that I have a hand in ensuring that we are a stable, fortified unit who have each other's back makes me smile every time. As for my success on the job, the thing I'm most proud is having had a vision to become either a teacher or a writer. The success comes in knowing I'm blessed to do a bit of both.

CALLOWAY: Have you ever had to fight off dream killers? Who or what attempted to kill your dream? SYKES: The answer to the first question is YES. I can't name names regarding the second question because the person could very well be reading this entry. But I can tell you the what. It was at a time in my career when I thought I was the hot sh*t and one of my superiors thought otherwise. Admittedly, there was a steep learning curve, but I never thought I would have to deal with that along with being intimidated, nitpicked and mentally abused. I would often ask myself "Am I crazy? What the hell am I still doing here." I think I stayed because I knew I was placed in the position for a reason and I knew I could do it even if no one else did. I survived that critical time in my career, but the lesson here is you have to believe no matter what and you also have to know when to fold. In hindsight, there's a part of me that wanted to throw in the towel, but F that, I knew I was better than the bull*&^% I was being subjected to. Rock on ladies!